Tai Kok Tsui
Encyclopedia
Tai Kok Tsui is an area west of Mong Kok
in Kowloon
, Hong Kong
. The mixed land use of industrial and residential is present in the old area. The Cosmopolitan Dock
and oil depots were previously located there. Blocks of high-rise residential buildings have been erected on the newly reclaimed area to the west.
linked by an isthmus at its north to Kowloon Peninsula
. The long granite hill divided the reclamation in its east and dock area in the west in 1924. The tip of the cape hosted the Asia oil tanks. The area was mainly for dock facilities at this period as reflected in present-day Anchor Street
. The Cosmopolitan Dock
survived till 1960s which is now Cosmopolitan Estate (大同新邨).
The Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link
will be built underneath Tai Kok Tsui. In January 2010, the local residents protested and said the railway would cause unbearable noise pollution to residents in some districts and could cause a number of old buildings with poor foundations to collapse.
on the west side of Kowloon Peninsula
. The cove
between the cape and Kowloon Peninsula
was reclaimed
during the period of 1867–1904. More reclamation along its shore took place during the period of 1904–1924 and more covered its tip during the period of 1924–1945. Minor reclamation was needed during the period 1964–1982 when the Tai Kok Tsui Ferry Pier
(大角嘴碼頭) was built. The launch of the Airport Core Programme
in the 1990s gave rise to substantial reclamation as well as revitalisation of the district. Part of Tai Kok Tsui - the area newly reclaimed in the 1990s - is increasingly referred to as Olympic due to the nearby MTR Station
opened in 1998, and the Olympian City
shopping centre.
located in the area. It is one of the projects of MTR
Olympic Station Phase II and is built on the reclaimed land of old Yau Ma Tei Typhoon Shelter
. Developed by the consortium
of MTR Corporation
, Sino Land
, Kerry Properties
, Bank of China (Hong Kong)
and China Overseas Land and Investment in 2001, it comprises 4 high-rise buildings (Block 1,2,3,5) with a total of 1,344 units.
. It was jointly developed by Nan Fung Group
and Urban Renewal Authority
(URA) in 2008] and completed the construction in May 2009. It comprises three blocks with a total of 522 units.
There is a residential block called "Hoi Ming Court" in the middle of the site which was excluded from the redevelopment
project due to its young age and high acquisition cost. Florient Rise was built around Hoi Ming Court.
and completed in 2007.
site of the former Tai Kok Tsui Temporary Bus Terminus, it was developed by Sino Land
and completed in 2006.
, Henderson Land Development
. It was formerly Hong Kong Ferry Staff Quarters It comprises one tower with a total of 348 units, which was completed in 2009.
Mong Kok
Mong Kok , less often known as Argyle , is an area in the Yau Tsim Mong District on Kowloon Peninsula, Hong Kong...
in Kowloon
Kowloon
Kowloon is an urban area in Hong Kong comprising the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon. It is bordered by the Lei Yue Mun strait in the east, Mei Foo Sun Chuen and Stonecutter's Island in the west, Tate's Cairn and Lion Rock in the north, and Victoria Harbour in the south. It had a population of...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. The mixed land use of industrial and residential is present in the old area. The Cosmopolitan Dock
Cosmopolitan Dock
Cosmopolitan Dock was one of the major dockyards in Hong Kong. Founded in 1880 and located on the exterior of former Tai Kok Tsui peninsula in Kowloon, the dockyard belonged to then-British owned Hutchison Whampoa. The dockyard was created from land reclaimation in the 1870s...
and oil depots were previously located there. Blocks of high-rise residential buildings have been erected on the newly reclaimed area to the west.
Demography
Until recently, many of the residents in Tai Kok Tsui were senior citizens but there has been a more recent influx of younger people, especially those returning to Hong Kong after time spent overseas. Traditionally the area has been known as one characterised by the presence of immigrants - often described as 'illegal immigrants' though this term is used rather intolerantly in Hong Kong and at times may describe people who are no such thing.History
Before any reclamation, Tai Kok Tsui was geographically a long island of Hong Kong of graniteGranite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
linked by an isthmus at its north to Kowloon Peninsula
Kowloon Peninsula
The Kowloon Peninsula is a peninsula that forms the southern part of the main landmass in the territory of Hong Kong. The Kowloon Peninsula and the area of New Kowloon are collectively known as Kowloon....
. The long granite hill divided the reclamation in its east and dock area in the west in 1924. The tip of the cape hosted the Asia oil tanks. The area was mainly for dock facilities at this period as reflected in present-day Anchor Street
Anchor Street
Anchor Street is a village in Norfolk, England....
. The Cosmopolitan Dock
Cosmopolitan Dock
Cosmopolitan Dock was one of the major dockyards in Hong Kong. Founded in 1880 and located on the exterior of former Tai Kok Tsui peninsula in Kowloon, the dockyard belonged to then-British owned Hutchison Whampoa. The dockyard was created from land reclaimation in the 1870s...
survived till 1960s which is now Cosmopolitan Estate (大同新邨).
The Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link
Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link
The Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link Hong Kong Section is a proposed high speed railway connecting Kowloon with the high-speed rail network of China at Shenzhen...
will be built underneath Tai Kok Tsui. In January 2010, the local residents protested and said the railway would cause unbearable noise pollution to residents in some districts and could cause a number of old buildings with poor foundations to collapse.
Coast and reclamation
The Chinese character Tsui (嘴) in Tai Kok Tsui implies that the area was originally an elongated capeCape (geography)
In geography, a cape or headland is a point or body of land extending into a body of water, usually the sea.A cape usually represents a marked change in trend of the coastline. Their proximity to the coastline makes them prone to natural forms of erosion, mainly tidal actions. This results in capes...
on the west side of Kowloon Peninsula
Kowloon Peninsula
The Kowloon Peninsula is a peninsula that forms the southern part of the main landmass in the territory of Hong Kong. The Kowloon Peninsula and the area of New Kowloon are collectively known as Kowloon....
. The cove
Cove
A cove is a small type of bay or coastal inlet. They usually have narrow, restricted entrances, are often circular or oval, and are often inside a larger bay. Small, narrow, sheltered bays, inlets, creeks, or recesses in a coast are often considered coves...
between the cape and Kowloon Peninsula
Kowloon Peninsula
The Kowloon Peninsula is a peninsula that forms the southern part of the main landmass in the territory of Hong Kong. The Kowloon Peninsula and the area of New Kowloon are collectively known as Kowloon....
was reclaimed
Land reclamation in Hong Kong
Land is in short supply in Hong Kong, and land reclamation has been conducted there since the mid-19th century.-Projects:One of the earliest and famous project was the Praya Reclamation Scheme, which added 50 to of land in 1890 during the second phase of construction...
during the period of 1867–1904. More reclamation along its shore took place during the period of 1904–1924 and more covered its tip during the period of 1924–1945. Minor reclamation was needed during the period 1964–1982 when the Tai Kok Tsui Ferry Pier
Tai Kok Tsui Ferry Pier
Tai Kok Tsui Ferry Pier was a ferry pier in Tai Kok Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong. It started operation in 1972, together with its bus terminus, to replace Mong Kok Ferry Pier in Mong Kok. It provided ferry service to and from Central, Hong Kong and Guangzhou, Mainland China...
(大角嘴碼頭) was built. The launch of the Airport Core Programme
Airport Core Programme
The Hong Kong Airport Core Programme was a series of infrastructure projects centred around the new Hong Kong International Airport during the early 1990s...
in the 1990s gave rise to substantial reclamation as well as revitalisation of the district. Part of Tai Kok Tsui - the area newly reclaimed in the 1990s - is increasingly referred to as Olympic due to the nearby MTR Station
Olympic (MTR)
Olympic Station is a station on the Tung Chung Line of Hong Kong's MTR. The livery is dodger blue.The station was originally named Tai Kok Tsui in proposals outlined by the government in the Airport Core Programme during the 1990s...
opened in 1998, and the Olympian City
Olympian City
Olympian City is a shopping and residential complex on the reclaimed land of Tai Kok Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong, next to the MTR Olympic Station. It is one of the main shopping and residential areas in West Kowloon...
shopping centre.
Central Park
Central Park is a private housing estatePrivate housing estate
A private housing estate is a term in Hong Kong that refers to a housing estate developed by a private developer, as opposed to a public housing estate built by the Hong Kong Housing Authority or the Hong Kong Housing Society. It usually is characterised with a cluster of high-rise buildings,...
located in the area. It is one of the projects of MTR
MTR
Mass Transit Railway is the rapid transit railway system in Hong Kong. Originally opened in 1979, the system now includes 211.6 km of rail with 155 stations, including 86 railway stations and 69 light rail stops...
Olympic Station Phase II and is built on the reclaimed land of old Yau Ma Tei Typhoon Shelter
Yau Ma Tei Typhoon Shelter
Yau Ma Tei Typhoon Shelter is a typhoon shelter located near Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon, Hong Kong.-History:The Government of Hong Kong planned for the construction of a second typhoon shelter after Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter in late 1906. In 1908 the Works Department decided to construct the typhoon...
. Developed by the consortium
Consortium
A consortium is an association of two or more individuals, companies, organizations or governments with the objective of participating in a common activity or pooling their resources for achieving a common goal....
of MTR Corporation
MTR Corporation
MTR Corporation Limited is a company listed on the Hong Kong Exchange and included in the Hang Seng Index. MTR owns and runs the Hong Kong MTR metro system, and is also a major property developer and landlord in Hong Kong...
, Sino Land
Sino Land
Sino Land Company Limited is one of the leading property companies in Hong Kong, a member of Sino Group owned by Singaporean Ng Teng Fong family. It is mainly engaged in real estate development for sales and investment.-History:...
, Kerry Properties
Kerry Properties
Kerry Properties Limited is a listed company engaged in property development in Hong Kong, Mainland China and Asia Pacific region; third party logistics, freight services and warehouse operations ; infrastructure projects in Hong Kong and Mainland China; and hotel ownership and operations in...
, Bank of China (Hong Kong)
Bank of China (Hong Kong)
Bank of China Limited is the second-largest commercial banking group in Hong Kong in terms of assets and customer deposits, with more than 300 branches in Hong Kong. It was established on 1 October 2001 from a merger of 12 subsidiaries and associates of the Bank of China in Hong Kong, and listed...
and China Overseas Land and Investment in 2001, it comprises 4 high-rise buildings (Block 1,2,3,5) with a total of 1,344 units.
Florient Rise
Florient Rise (formerly Cherry Street Project) is a private estate in Cherry StreetCherry Street, Hong Kong
Cherry Street is a street in Tai Kok Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong. It was a street to Tai Kok Tsui Ferry Pier. After the reclamation of the West Kowloon in 1990s, it became a road across the new reclamation and a tunnel was built under the Olympic Station....
. It was jointly developed by Nan Fung Group
Nan Fung Group
Nan Fung Group is a privately held group of companies carrying on the business of property development as its core business in Greater China including shipping, textiles and financial services. It is also one of the leading property developers and largest privately held developers in Hong Kong.Nan...
and Urban Renewal Authority
Urban Renewal Authority
The Urban Renewal Authority is a statutory body in Hong Kong responsible for accelerating redevelopment to provide a better living environment and neighbourhood.-History:...
(URA) in 2008] and completed the construction in May 2009. It comprises three blocks with a total of 522 units.
There is a residential block called "Hoi Ming Court" in the middle of the site which was excluded from the redevelopment
Redevelopment
Redevelopment is any new construction on a site that has pre-existing uses.-Description:Variations on redevelopment include:* Urban infill on vacant parcels that have no existing activity but were previously developed, especially on Brownfield land, such as the redevelopment of an industrial site...
project due to its young age and high acquisition cost. Florient Rise was built around Hoi Ming Court.
Harbour Green
Harbour Green is a private estate that's part of the Olympic Station Phase III project. It comprises five 48 or 56 floors towers with a total of 1,514 units. It was jointly developed by Sun Hung Kai Properties and MTR CorporationMTR Corporation
MTR Corporation Limited is a company listed on the Hong Kong Exchange and included in the Hang Seng Index. MTR owns and runs the Hong Kong MTR metro system, and is also a major property developer and landlord in Hong Kong...
and completed in 2007.
One Silversea
One Silversea is a private estate located at the waterfrontShore
A shore or shoreline is the fringe of land at the edge of a large body of water, such as an ocean, sea, or lake. In Physical Oceanography a shore is the wider fringe that is geologically modified by the action of the body of water past and present, while the beach is at the edge of the shore,...
site of the former Tai Kok Tsui Temporary Bus Terminus, it was developed by Sino Land
Sino Land
Sino Land Company Limited is one of the leading property companies in Hong Kong, a member of Sino Group owned by Singaporean Ng Teng Fong family. It is mainly engaged in real estate development for sales and investment.-History:...
and completed in 2006.
Shining Heights
Shining Heights , at 83 Sycamore Street, was developed by Hong Kong Ferry (Holdings) Company Limited and its parent companyParent company
A parent company is a company that owns enough voting stock in another firm to control management and operations by influencing or electing its board of directors; the second company being deemed as a subsidiary of the parent company...
, Henderson Land Development
Henderson Land Development
Henderson Land Development Co. Ltd. is a listed property company and a constituent of the Hang Seng Index. The company's principal activities are property development and investment, project management, construction, hotel operation, department store operation, finance, investment holding and...
. It was formerly Hong Kong Ferry Staff Quarters It comprises one tower with a total of 348 units, which was completed in 2009.